Portrait of Bartholomeus Spranger
Medium
Engraving; New Holl.'s fourth state of seven
Dimensions
Sheet (trimmed): 6 1/8 × 7 3/16 in. (15.5 × 18.2 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1949
Accession Number
49.95.1912
Tags
Art Historical Context
This engraving, created in 1597, captures the likeness of Flemish painter Bartholomeus Spranger, a leading figure at the court of Emperor Rudolf II in Prague. Designed by German artist Hans von Aachen and executed by Dutch engraver Jan Muller, the print reflects the close artistic networks of Northern Mannerism. Both von Aachen and Spranger served as court painters in Prague, where they contributed to the emperor’s celebrated collection of refined, elegant works blending Italian influences with Northern precision. The medium of engraving allowed such portraits to circulate widely among collec...